


Anytime

by Roshwen



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Addition to the Point of Salvation, Don't Judge Me, Gen, Jazekiel if you squint and use goggles, Yes I'm getting on the 'Ezekiel remembers' train
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 06:45:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11846133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roshwen/pseuds/Roshwen
Summary: After the time loop case, Jake drives Ezekiel home (or at least, back to Portland).





	Anytime

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, I haven't written any fic for a REALLY long time, but here goes. Apparently it's my turn to take a ride on the whole 'Ezekiel remembers' fun train.

‘Jones, I’ll drive you home. Let’s go.’

‘You don’t know where I live.’

‘Jones. Please.’

Jake crosses his arms and fixes Ezekiel with the stare he usually saves for his father when he insists the drinking is not a problem and everything is under control, son. ‘Just get in the car and tell me where I can drop you off.’

Ezekiel finally and grudgingly gives an address, but Jake would bet all the ancient manuscripts of the Library that ‘1313 NW Marshall Street’ is another lie. And the good ancient manuscripts too, not just the original copy of _Romeo and Juliet,_ in which everything is solved a little … differently. Jake doesn’t mind much, though. One of the world’s leading thieves would be cautious in telling everyone where exactly he is hiding out. It only makes sense.

What does not make sense, however, is how quiet Ezekiel is after they get into the car. Usually he talks a mile a minute, about the latest case, something cool he found in the Library, the fit Jenkins had when he found out that Ezekiel had found something cool in the Library (mostly because you _are not supposed to touch that Mr. Jones, please put that back)_ or, if Jake is lucky, a very detailed description of Ezekiel’s latest unauthorized adventures. After his skating trip to the pyramids, Jake had to sit down for a full ten minutes, and had then very carefully and with great self-control asked Ezekiel to never do such a thing again.

But now, Ezekiel is quiet. He sits slumped in the passenger seat, eyes staring out the window without looking at anything. Jake can’t really read the expression on his face in the darkness, but it is a far cry from the earlier ‘Yeah I was awesome, what else is knew’ back at the Annex.

Jake doesn’t mind quiet while driving, but this is starting to unnerve him.

‘You think the clippings book will give us a break sometime soon?’ he asks. Ezekiel has been bitching lately about always running off after the next artefact and never having any time to steal anything he gets to keep, so Jake figures that if anything can get him to talk, this will.

But Ezekiel just gives a little half smile that does not reach his eyes. ‘Not a chance, mate,’ he says, and turns his head to stare out the passenger window. Passing streetlights are now lighting up the car, which means they have reached the outskirts of Portland, but Ezekiel is still looking at nothing.

Jake isn’t stupid. Of course, he has an IQ of 190, but where some geniuses can read books like no other and then are stumped when it comes to actual human interaction, Jake has never had any trouble reading people as well. He knows that Ezekiel has been lying through his teeth this evening, and he can make a pretty educated guess as to why.

He won’t pry, though. God knows he has no right to judge anyone for keeping secrets, let alone prying into them.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t worried.

He does not remember much of the video game time loop case, but he does remember what Ezekiel told them. About the hundreds of times they had apparently gone through the same loop, and never making it out. How it always ended with one or all of them dead. The way Ezekiel had almost seemed like a different person when he led them through the hallways and out of the game.

He also remembers Ezekiel’s face when he told them there had been only three grenades. The small, almost relieved smile when he started running towards the void.

Jake had lost friends before. The oil business can be dangerous, especially if the boss is not exactly a stickler for petty things like safety regulations. But he had never had a friend sacrifice himself like this, like it was only right. He remembers how completely at ease Ezekiel had looked with the way things turned out, and it makes something clench inside him.

When Ezekiel told them how he didn’t remember a thing, Jake had been relieved for a split second. That was before his brain came back online, and he saw exactly the same mask on Ezekiel’s face as the one he saw sometimes in the mirror. _I don’t remember, my ass._

Jake won’t judge. He won’t pry. But he also doesn't want to let Ezekiel suffer on his own.

He finds Marshall Street, parks the car, but before Ezekiel can get out, Jake reaches out and lays a hand on his arm. He half expects Ezekiel to shake him loose and make a run for it, but instead Ezekiel stops and looks at him. ‘Buy a guy a drink first, Stone,’ he says, but the tone of his voice makes the joke fall flat.

Jake smiles. He would like to buy Ezekiel a drink someday, but now is most definitely not the time.

‘I just wanted to thank you,’ he says, and he sees Ezekiel stiffen in his seat. ‘I know we were kind of dismissive back then, with Eve calling you a halfway decent person, but you really did save all our asses today. Even if you don’t remember it.’ _Or if you say you don’t remember it._ ‘So. Thank you.’

Ezekiel relaxes, grins, and for a moment he almost looks okay again. ‘Anytime, mate’ he says, before he opens the door and gets out. ‘Anytime.’ He closes the door and walks away, even though Jake parked right in front of no. 1313.

Jake drives off, the echo of the word  _Anytime_ keeping him company all the way back home.


End file.
